After that performance today it's hard to see how the team will be changed really. I would say that the only change is Delaney out for Cuthbertson. Won't be surprised if Lilley, Handley or Mullally are now called up for Featherstone. Stevie Ward starts full time training this week so we could see him on the bench.

Sutcliff
Briscoe Watkins Moon Hall
McGuire Burrow
Galloway Segeyaro Garbutt
Ferres Ablett
JJB

Singleton Cuthbertson Keinhorst Achurch/Ward.

S8 Q

Does the Q stand for Quims?

Lilley, Handley and Mullally won't be called up to Featherstone at all unless we've guaranteed our safety by week 6/7.

For one Lilley's shoulder isn't in good shape and he doesn't sound fit to play for anyone, us or Fev. Handley won't be risked in case Briscoe or Hall get injured.

Same 17 except Cuthbertson in for Delaney.

Don't see the point in playing Stevie Ward at all this year. If we need him back in (bench or otherwise) it's because we're struggling, and it's not fair to pile the pressure on first game back.

For HKR we need to tighten up down the middle - Albert Kelly's the danger.

This is a must win game. Hull kr are the weakest super league team and very likley to be in the MPG, we can't afford to let them take 2 points off us.

No comment



But seriously? SUPER 8 QUALIFIER? (S8 Q)

Who is responsible for that nomenclature?

Sounds like fixtures that have been 'achieved'.

As if RELEGATION is somehow deemed a qualified achievement!



And when did the MIDDLE 8's (turd-polishing terminology in itself) become the SUPER 8 QUALIFIERS?

I wouldn't risk Ward yet. If we are planning on playing him this season best off against a championship team. I would prefer to leave him to have a full off season. I know it might be hard on him but it's not worth the risk.

By Jove, missus. Have you dared suggest such on the Leigh board?

Yeah I agree, if he's going to come back it has to be coming off the bench vs London and/or Batley (it would give the chance to rotate/rest a backrower such as JJB or Ferres also). If he makes decent cameo appearances against them then he could be considered for the final 2 games IF needed.

HKR get through Batley easily 58-18.

Salford beat Hudds 34-12. Apart from a 5 minute period where Hudds scored their 2 tries it sounded pretty comfortable for Salford/poor from Hudds.

Arguably it was Hudds toughest fixture and they might not have expected to win but the manner of the defeat should be worrying, didn't sound like a team fighting for survival. The do however now have a good run of fixtures in Fev (h) Batley (a) and London (h) so could still find themselves with 6 points from 8.

No, couldn't be bothered scrolling that far down on the homepage

They are all a good run of fixtures. For SL sides these fixtures are undoubtedly the easiest run of fixtures all year. It is impossible for there to be an easier run of fixtures.

No matter what format, the game just cannot resist rewarding 5th placed mediocrity.

On this occasion, it's in the form of an invitation to take part in a Million Pound Game.

I'm supremely confident that even Leeds aspirations are higher than 5th in this dire league.

Well considering those SL sides also have to play each other then in the context of this competition their's still easier and trickier games.

Hudds have the 3 'unfancied' Championship teams next up in a row.

HKR go away to us, away to Salford and home to Leigh in the next three.

A difference clearly. Granted that means HKR then have some of those 'unfancied' Championship teams later on but you don't want to potentially go on a run of defeats and have to play catchup in such a short format. As we've seen at Leeds, winning games can build momentum and become a habit so if Hudds can win those 3 in a row regardless of the strength of the opposition it's helpful. Do HKR want to face Leigh potentially on the back of consecutive away defeats? Would Leeds have beaten Hull and Wigan recently if we didn't get a couple of wins against Salford and Wakey beforehand? Probably not.

If we assume due to the format the league is effectively in 2 halves, super league half and championship half, then finishing 5th means you've finished highest out of the fellow championship teams.

I'm not sure how else you would suggest working it.

Do HKR want to face Leigh potentially on the back of consecutive away defeats? no of course they don't because they dont want be losing consecutive away games. But it does it matter that it is Leigh or London or anyone else in that game? not really.

Hudds might have 3 championship sides in a row, they might win them all, that might give them confidence to for the remaining 3, it might mean they coast. They might lose one or two and that easier run suddenly becomes a harder one.

This is the easiest run of fixtures and SL club will have this year, by far. Whatever order they come in, its not getting any easier. Youre just making up possible circumstances and then pretending they are a consideration but they don't exist anywhere outside your head.

Of course they exist, it's clear as day. Of course any run of fixtures in this Middle 8 won't be as hard as facing Wigan, Warrington and Hull in consecutive weeks but in the context of the format we are currently they are differences.

No doubt it's just you once again still sulking that this format was introduced in the first place.

Would've you have preferred our first game to be way to Fev or away to Hudds? I know which one I'd prefer and I know I'd rather get off to a good start and not put ourselves under pressure to catch up.

i couldnt care less. It really makes no difference at all. This is our easiest run of games for years. If we dont win the 5 or 6 we need to finish top 3, we arent going to do that because the games were played in a different order.

And yes, id rather get off to a good start, id rather we had a good finish too. How much better of a start would putting 60 points on hudds have been.

As for this format being introduced, no comment from you on attendances this year i see? The gates should be massive on the back of last year shouldnt they? Surely we havent seen a fall this year again? Good job we have seen the 15 sell outs we should have seen this year, as well as the 5% increase in attendances...............ooops

But massively unlikely as you well know. We play that game against Fev and we win 9 times out of 10. We play Hudds away and maybe we win 5 times out of 10.

Dismissing the order of the fixture shows a complete ignorance to the importance of momentum, confidence, putting pressure on others by being ahead in the league table that happens in sport.

And the original point was about Hudds, who are on a 3 game losing streak now and as we've seen this year with Leeds, snapping out of a losing run makes life much harder.

Most concede we played ok vs Warrington in the opening round this year but we lost. Put a number of other lower teams in and we probably start with a win and who knows what a difference that could've made. Also post WCC away to Catalans and Wigan, again could've had an easier fixture list and who knows what a few wins behind us could've done for us.

Saints are now on a 6 game winning run beating Wire and Wigan, but do they do that without having those much more winnable games vs HKR, Widnes, Wakey and Hudds first?



No because no one has mentioned them or provided any information on them.

Aww, everyone was doing so well in ignoring Williams troll posts. Now you've answered he will be on here all week.

Yet Salford have just beaten them by 22 points and have 1 less SL club left to play than us. So who has had the better start us or Salford? Or we can just make up the amount of times a club would win in hypothetical games that wont ever take place.

Or that those things don't matter when you are playing your easiest run possible.

But then they could have lost that game to Leigh. or London. or anyone else and then it would be worse. Or they could have put 40 on Salford and gained confidence that they wouldnt have from squeaking passed Leigh. Your 'theories' only work when you look back at results that happen, or invent situations in your head. It makes absolutely no difference and provides us with absolutely no useful information.
I have literally no idea what would happen in this alternate reality that you are inventing.

I dont know, i dont know what would happen if we lived in a differently reality. You evidently do, let us know what its like in this universe you have invented.
You were adamant they would rise, you put a lot of time and effort in to vehemently arguing they would and telling us the reasons why. Were you not intrigued as to whether or not you were right?

ill help you out, you were wrong. They are down. Again.

You really are ridiculous with a complete and utter basic lack of sporting knowledge if you think results would be exactly the same if played in any order.

You complain about me doing hypotheticals that we might beat Hudds 5 times out of 10 if we played when in your previous post you were saying what if we beat them by 60. Hypocritical by plenty.

As for attendances, we are 1 week into the 8's starting.

Yes, I was providing you with other things that could also happen to highlight that your made up results were simply made up results with a wide range of alternatives also available in this new reality of yours. Either that fairly simple point went massively over your head or you really don't understand hypocrisy.

Aaah so you want to wait until after the 8s. I'm sure when they are lower we wont be seeing Leeds being in the middle 8s as the excuse for the fall (even though that is a feature of the system, not a bug)

Are you making an attempt to engage William in serious debate?

I have some jelly you can try nailing to a wall instead, might be more fruitful use of time.